7 Sins
by Virtualistic
Summary: A Pokemon Trainer is given the task of infiltrating Team Rocket to destroy it once and for all from the inside. However, to prove that he is loyal to the Rockets, he is given 80 rigorous and illicit tasks that he must complete without fail, in order to officially become part of the Rocket's inner circle. (The actual story starts at Chapter 9).
1. Gluttony

This is my second story. Please review to tell me any mistakes you see or anything that you don't understand about the story in general. Thank you.

 _Italic_ is for thoughts.

 **Bold** is for emphasis.

* * *

I remember back when I had first met Nirav. It was eight years ago in Unova, during the season of autumn. It started when I was outside the forest, resting comfortably in my shell, hidden carefully in a pile of fallen leaves, and was thinking about things that were currently occupying my mind.

The first thing that I thought about was the schedule for tomorrow. You know, like normal Shuckle things like gather berries, make Berry Juice, sleep, and blah blah blah. But the second thing that was occupying my mind was battling.

Unlike other Shuckles, I was born with an instinct to battle. You see, I was once in a battle with a trainer as a wild Pokémon, and a trainer unlike any other. He was powerful, but not powerful enough to knock me out in one hit. Eventually I lost, but that was because I didn't know what to do in the current situation. I didn't mind getting injured, but the fight was…it was exhilarating.

I needed to know more, learn more, and battle more. Normal Shuckles don't trouble themselves with this sort of thing, but I don't get why you would spend the rest of your life making a juice. I know that that's what we use to drink and stay alive, but we make much more than enough in a lifetime. Besides, there are human factories to do this kind of stuff.

So I try to learn how to battle. I do this by watching the trainers that come by here every day to train their Pokémon from the bushes. I try to replicate their techniques, most of them ending in failure. The few that I could copy were simple moves, like Bite or Tackle. One day, a local Pokémon happened to stroll by the spot where I trained. Apparently, it looked so funny for a Shuckle to attempt to battle that he brought his friends, who were some local thugs.

Eventually they tracked me to my home, which was a small cave under a boulder near the beach, and ambushed me when I wasn't looking. They pinned me down so that the leader, a Scrafty, could talk to me properly. He asked me things like why I wanted to train and why I even bothered trying.

I replied with: "Because I don't wanna spend my life making refreshments." And did you know what he said? He said: "Well, you gotta face the facts, because that's all that you'll ever be able to do."

He and his minions all cackled and walked back to the forest. They never bothered me again. I wondered if it was true. _Of course, it isn't. I'll become stronger, and I'll be feared throughout the region_ , I thought. But then I realized how farfetched that sounded. Feared throughout the region? I'm just a Shuckle. All I do is make juice and hide in my shell when I'm attacked until I fainted.

Rain had started, and had made the ground muddy. It wasn't a good time to go collecting berries again. I'll just wait until morning and sleep until then. I want to forget my idea of battling as soon as possible.

Just as I was getting ready to rest, I heard footsteps. I looked up. A human child, about 7 years of age, stood at the mouth of the cave, looking at me with curiosity. I curled up in my shell, hoping that he would just go away. I had enough trouble for today.

He crouched down until he was balancing on the balls of his feet. He whispered: "I saw what those Pokémon where doing to you. Were you in trouble?"

He was a curious human, and it looked like he wasn't going away anytime soon, so I peeked out of my shell. He was wearing light green shorts, with a plain blue T-shirt and a dark blue windbreaker. His short black hair was poking out in many directions, and he had a playful smile of his face.

I nodded. He then whispered: "Oh, what for? I got punished because I was inside playing games too much. What are you in trouble for? Stealing? Breaking stuff? Oh, what about battling?"

I nodded at the last one. "Oh, I have a friend named Black. He got in trouble for battling with his friend's dad's Pokémon."

The human looked around, like he was afraid that someone was watching. "I have an idea! How about you become my Pokémon?"

I looked up at him. He saw my interest and then said: "I don't need a Pokémon now, but Mom said that I should learn how to be friends with one, and when I get older, I can make them super tough so that I can protect my family and win tournaments!"

It looked like a lot of things to do, but then I realized that I could become stronger if I stayed with him. _Should I stick to my dream?_ I thought.

"What do you say?" The child asked.

I hesitated, then nodded.

* * *

Well, there you go. Please tell me if you liked this or not.


	2. Pride

Second Chapter. Here we go!

* * *

Back when I was a Tympole, I was very shy. I refused to battle, because my granddad told me to stay safe and unhurt before he passed away. Unfortunately, he didn't know about the leader's new rules. But in the Tympole community, either you battled or you were declared weak. That was the law of our new leader. And if you were weak, then you were cast out of the community, where predators and humans lived.

My parents were both captured when they went out hunting, and my grandma and granddad died together happily. I didn't know any cousins, and other relatives refused to know me. I had no one to stick up for me when the elders, older Palpitoads and Seismitoads, declared that I was weak. But because I was young, they made an exception for me to stay in the community until I was older. Then they would cast me out without a second thought.

In the group, an elder had to teach the children about battling, mostly about statuses, important moves, and enemies. All of the children had to attend, including me.

One day, the elder set up a place where we Tympoles could battle. He paired us up and called on us one by one to battle each other. But I had already decided what I was going to do. The moment that I and my partner were called on, I forfeited. The elder stared at me in disbelief. Then, all of a sudden, the other Tympoles around burst into laughter and started chants: "Weak! Weak!"

My partner looked absolutely shameful. I felt sorry for him, but it's what I had to do.

The elder came to me, chuckling, and said: "Well, even if you…you don't want to fight, w-well, at least let your partner have a try. I mean, it's not fair if he doesn't get to prove himself to the others just because you didn't want to fight, right?" Apparently, the idea that one of their community would refuse to fight was preposterous.

I supposed he had a point. I faced my partner, and he looked extremely angry. Mostly at me, and I could understand why. "Are you ready?" said the elder to each of us. My partner nodded, and I reluctantly did the same.

The elder held up three fingers, then two, then, one, and yelled out: "Fight!"

Before I could brace myself, he charged and rammed his body into me. I fell back, and he cornered me against a tree. He then sucked in air and started vibrating the air between us. I knew this move too well. This was Sonicboom. Before I could recover, he released his breath, and the vibrating air accelerated it, like a magnet train. The breath pushed me back, and put a sizable dent into the tree's bark.

The audience jeered at me, and then congratulated the victor, who was walking away. The only one who stayed behind to look at me was the elder. The elder looked at me disapprovingly, before going to tell my partner how he could become any stronger.

I was too weak to move, so the others left me behind, lying on the base of a tree. They didn't care about me. Why should they have to care for some weakling like me? I was too hurt to call for help, too scrawny to use brute strength to get free, and too pathetic that it was unlikely that anyone who came by would help me.

But that was where I was wrong.

I heard something that shouldn't be here. A soft continuous sound, to my left, like someone was dragging something. Tympoles usually hop, and the wild Pokémon around here don't make sounds like that. And even if it was, no wild Pokémon would ever set foot in this place, as invading our territory is usually met with high consequences.

I looked to where the sound was coming from. It was a Shuckle. That was strange, since Shuckles don't appear in these parts. It seemed like it hadn't noticed me yet. When I had gathered enough strength to speak, I asked the Shuckle a question.

"Wh-what are you doing here?" I said.

The Shuckle noticed me for the first time. "Well, I'm gathering berries. What are you doing here?" It asked me in return.

"Uh, this is my community's territory. I…well, let's just say that…"

"These look like battle wounds. Have you been in a battle recently?" the Shuckle interrupted, examining my body.

"Y-yes…"

Well, staying out here is going to do you no good, so let me take you to my trainer," the Shuckle suggested, already hauling me onto his shell. I was too weak to struggle, so I just went with it. "Do you have any family or friends that are waiting for you?" it asked.

"No, no family. No friends," I said.

"Oh. I'm sorry to hear that. Well, let's get you to a Pokémon center," said the Shuckle. He dragged me very slowly to a nearby tree. Then he took out a collection of berries, each one differing on the effects. He examined each and every one, and then took a Rawst Berry, two Yache Berries, a Cheri Berry, and about five Sitrus Berries. "Here," he said, handing me the five Sitrus. "When I put the other berries in my shell, cover up the holes in my shell with these berries **immediately**."

By then, I had enough strength to move, so I nodded. I saw him take the Rawst berry and put it in his shell, took the Cheri berry and put it in a different hole in the shell, then stuff the two Yaches inside in another hole. I then did what I was told and covered up all the holes with the Sitrus berries, and just as I was about to cover up the one at the top, he stopped me and said: "No, not that one. That's for the signal."

I didn't understand, but before I could do anything, he went out from under the tree until he was directly under the night sky. Suddenly, Shuckle began to glow, but in a red light, not like he was evolving. Then, a flaming berry rocketed into the sky, soaring way above the trees and exploded, like a human firework.

Then I understood what he was doing. "You idiot! The elders will find us, and if they see another Pokémon in their territory, you'll be dead!"

"I can take care of myself," the Shuckle grinned. "I know I can."

 _No_ , I thought. _You can't. You're a Shuckle. How can you possibly win against them?_

[] [] []

The elders came earlier than expected. One cracked his knuckles just in case there was an intruder. In fact, every one of them hoped that it was an intruder, because the lack of action in these parts was insane. They never got any excitement out of watching two youngsters brawl, but some made a killing off of betting.

They were disappointed when they saw the "intruder". They thought a group of Bisharp and Pawniard would be nice, maybe even a Zangoose. But instead, they had a Shuckle. Of all things, a Shuckle! And there was also the weakling, who was right beside him, terrorized with fear. Good, because helping an intruder is punishable by death. They were itching to kill that weakling.

The Shuckle whispered something to the weakling, but that didn't matter. One of the elders charged at the two, roaring loudly. The weakling, trembling, took out one of the Sitrus berries stuck in the Shuckle's shell, and then stuck it on the top hole. Just before the big Seismitoad made contact, the Shuckle glowed a strange red color…

…and the others barely had enough time to dodge the Seismitoad's huge body as it flew backward with great force. What was that on his chest? A fire?

Some of the others backed off in fear, but the really idiotic ones all charged at the Shuckle in rage.

"Well, the real battling starts now."

Once they heard that statement, the Seismitoads found themselves weaker, some even unable to stand. "Wha-what happened?" said one of them.

"This move's called Power Split. I took your strength, and I made it mine. Isn't it fun sharing your power with a weakling?" the Shuckle replied. He then whispered into the weakling's ear: "Get into the water."

The Tympole obeyed and hopped into a nearby pond. The second he did, the Shuckle looked back at the Seismitoads. He then said one word: "Earthquake."

He ground shook and trembled with a mighty force. The ones still left standing were instantly knocked out, while the Shuckle had grinned, enjoying this feeling of power. From the pond, the Tympole was safe, since the water was shifty and wasn't stable. Still, he couldn't help but accept the fact that the ones that were believed to be the most powerful were defeated by a Shuckle. It was ironic indeed.

The Shuckle dragged itself over to the pond, where he looked at the Tympole. "You look like you could use some toughening up," he said. "Come with me and my trainer. We'll make you stronger."

"I don't want to get stronger. I might get hurt, and it might be dangerous," said the Tympole.

The Shuckle smiled, shaking his head. "My friend, the world would never be dangerous, and it can never hurt you, just as long as you can grab it by the neck and shake."

The Tympole realized that he'd been going about this whole procedure wrong.

He hesitated, but eventually, he reluctantly said: "Alright."


	3. Pride the Second

Third Chapter. Again, feel free to tell me any mistakes you see or anything that you don't understand.

* * *

As a Wynaut, I remember a story from when I was a child. It said that once, our shadows were people, given to us by the lord Arceus, so that he could learn if his creations were violent or understanding. If they were violent, they would have attacked their own shadows. If they understood the shadows, then they would be friends.

The story stated that the Pokémon lived peacefully with theirs, until the human race became jealous of our peace and wanted to destroy it. After all, humans were a lonely culture long ago, because some lacked compassion and true happiness. Anyways, they consulted with the holy Arceus, claiming that they were getting attacked more often because those Pokémon that were hostile to humans now had twice the numbers.

To demonstrate, they brought over a man who was assaulted by the humans and made to claim that he was actually attacked by the Pokémon (under the threat of death). Reluctantly, the lord Arceus sent out his legendaries with one goal: kill all the shadows, including their own. Many of the legendaries were horrified by their task, some even isolating themselves from the world to live in solitude. One special case was Giratina, who had killed many shadows and retreated to his own dimension because he was afraid that the Pokémon would forever hate him.

However, the shadows that we had loved so much had one final wish before they died: to be forever with us for generations. A saddened Jirachi, who was floating over our world at the time, had heard and granted their wish. Of course, the shadows would die, but their corpses would always be with us…on the ground, only visible in light.

And so it came to pass that the shadows were together with us, always there, silently gazing at the ones they loved dearly from the ground.

But that wasn't the end.

Because when I was a Wynaut, I was told by my parents a secret that I must never tell anyone.

Unfortunately, Cinccino, who is interested in secrets, is a powerful manipulator, forcing me to tell you about this, and even I cannot resist her charms. So a 500 year old secret will be revealed at last.

Have you ever gotten into a battle with a Wobbuffet before? You must have been thinking: "Oh, this Pokémon doesn't really do anything useful, so I'll just run and move on." And then you and your Pokémon would have tried to run, except that there was something pulling you back and wouldn't let go, right? That was our ability Shadow Tag.

It all began right after the lord Arceus had begun ordering the legendaries to kill of all the shadows. Our ancestor had escaped from the legendaries and had pleaded to the lord Arceus to let his kind keep their shadows.

He asked him of this because Wynaut and Wobbuffet were a peaceful species that never fought back, and they would only strike if their opponent struck first. They couldn't bear the thought living without their shadows. They would never attack humans, because it is literally impossible for them to assault someone unless they were assaulted.

Hearing this logic, Arceus became glad that he would not have to completely destroy his new creation. And so, he called off the legendary that was assigned to kill the Wynauts' and Wobbuffets' shadows. The ancestor then asked of one more favor. He asked if it was possible for Arceus to keep this a secret, for the other Pokémon might become jealous if they learned of this and attack the Wynauts and Wobbuffets, thus making it impossible for them to settle down and have peace. The lord Arceus agreed.

Of course, the shadows could not go about with their original form, because anyone who would happen to stumble onto them would discover that the Wynauts and Wobbuffets still had their shadows. So the shadows decided to live inside the Wynauts' and Wobbuffets' tail, while also maintaining the form of a dead shadow, a corpse of one.

This is why us Wobbuffets have always hidden and protected our tails, because we fear someone discovering and destroying our treasured secret, our shadows.

Makes sense, doesn't it?

Of course, I need to also explain our ability, Shadow Tag. Well, it's not really an ability when you think about, but the humans seem to think so.

Basically, how this works is that we ask our shadows to attach themselves to our opponent's shadow. They reach out with their arms and grab hold of their opponent's shadow. Sometimes, their arms look differently, depending on what kind of person you are. It might look like a tentacle, or a rope, or maybe even a tree branch. Mine, personally, is in the form of a chain.

Imagine attaching yourself to a dead corpse, except that dead corpse is already attached to a person. What you're doing is keeping hold of the dead corpse so that the person can't run away. That's what our shadows are able to do, except in this case, the dead corpse is actually a dead shadow.

This type of thing is useful for catching criminals, and that's why you see a lot of us Wobbuffets in police stations and interrogation rooms. We also serve as good guards and bodyguards, because we are bulky in general and never allow attackers to get away. Never.

But you might be wondering, what about inanimate objects, like cars or buildings, which have shadows? Well, that's a whole other story.


	4. Wrath

New Chapter! This one's different, because it includes the grammar and pronouncing errors that a Hydreigon would make when describing his past.

* * *

When I was Deino, I was clumsy and was hard when I use my brain. I couldn't see, but I had good sense of smell. I had big bite, and could use (ahh…awww…some…) awesome Dragon moves. I had strength to shatter boulders with charge and tackle, and almost (ee…nuff…) enough power to completely destroy a small mountain. Yes, I was very powerful Pokémon, with all power that I need to dominate my territory. My foes were nothing.

To be honest, I was and am still stupid. The reason that I am talking better like this is because of the filter on this microphone that translates my grunts and bad vocab. Also, it fills in blanks, so it's very useful. And recently, I have been…uh…totorred? Is that how you say? Tuuu…torrrr…urrred? Well, I was teached by Cinccino in human la…langu…uhhge…, so I wasn't dumb as before. But, I'll get to part later.

Anyways, I never acted on my smartness, just instinct. If someone was in my (terra…t-tore…ee…) territory, my mind screams: "Kill! Kill!"

Then I could not control my body, and there were times I didn't want to. (Rehhh… guuu…) R-regular (inn…truuu…derrrs…) intruders like Durant or Swoobat were thorn in side, and although they weak and easy to (dee…deespo…oze…) dispose, their (com…rad…) comrades keep coming after me. I owned lot of territory, and was easy to see why they sacrificed many of their own kind to go after me.

On Unova (Ruh…oww…tuh…) Route 10, pair of Zweilous owned even larger piece of territory. These ones (domin…ate…ed…) dominated any they came (ak…crawz…) across, wild or trained. Their reputation spread far, even to the (day…dane…jer…usss…) dangerous caves of old human Victory Road. Only one was (ah…loud…) allowed to go into their home without (puh…nish…ment…) punishment, and that was their son. Me.

"I'm back!" I shouted when entered their cave. My parents were in (die…dyning…) dining area, eating.

"Son, what have I told you about going off during the day? Claim your own territory during the night," replied one of father's heads. "Also, go hunt today. I'm too tired," the other head added. They were lying on floor, chewing on big bone.

"I'll go do it later…" I sighed. I wanted to rest, but father insisted.

"Do it **now**. I mean it," my father grunted.

Humans had chores for children, but we have hunting. "Fine," I finally (muhhh…mumb…belled) mumbled. "I guess." I sighed in (ehh..xass…per…a…schen…) exasperation, then (eh…xit…)exited the cave.

(On…onest…) Honestly, hunting was boring sport. Bouffalant common around here, and get (ahgg…gruhh…vate…ted…) aggravated pretty easily. This made easy to (die…rect…) direct life risking tackles into tree or boulder or something, which make them easy target and decent meal. So I head over to spot on tree (ohh…vuhh…look…) overlooking area where Bouffalant were common and sat. I had to wait a while when I finally saw pair of Bouffalant. A mother and child, and both look tasty. I shifted into attack stance, until I saw something caught my eye.

It was red and white thing. It looked similar to top of Foongus. No, it looked very similar. A human child was carrying it, about 8-9 human years young. He looked at Bouffalant, then threw two of the thing at both of them. What was it? It shot out some light that touched both my prey and they disappeared!

"Wow! First try! I didn't even have to send out my Pokémon for that one," he said into thin air. How many people are there talk to thin air? Then I saw he was holding something in hand. He turn around, and I saw face! It was human woman, wearing black human cloth and a headphone. How was there face on small thing? He went away later.

I breathe out in relief. I go back home to tell Mom and Dad there was human in forest today, but the light is off. Are they outside? Maybe they are sleeping? I look around and everything is gone. Everywhere is empty. Where are they? Is it human ritual, like (burr…berth…day) birthday? Are they hiding in surprise? Where are they?

I reach dining area. There are words carved on floor.

 **SON SORRY WE HAD TO LEAVE**

 **YOU WAS GOOD BUT WE HAD TO GO**

 **BECAUSE OF**

The rest scratched out.

I didn't under…stand. Leave? My mom and dad leave? It's impossible. Why they leave me? Must be a prank. My mom like jokes. Maybe she joked with me. I cry out for mom. I cry out for dad. They don't come. I cry. I cry because I don't have my mom and dad. I cry because I don't have a friend to cry with. I cry because every one that try to become my friend, I try to kill. I cry because I don't know what to do. I cry because I don't know where to go. I cry because…

…I'm mad. I'm mad at my mom and dad. I'm mad because they leave me. I'm mad because I have nothing except my land now. I hear something faint, from cave's mouth. I listen.

"Something's going on here. I'm gonna go check it out." Pause. "I don't need clearance. I'm an eight year old. Eight year olds don't need clearance. They go into caves because they're curious, and I'm curious, which means I have to go inside the cave." Another pause. "Know what? I'm turning this thing off. Sorry, what? Can't hear you."

I hear human footsteps in cave. I charge a Dragon Pulse and get into attack po…si…chen. Position. I get ready to destroy human when human come in. This my home.

I see human step into dining area, I fire Dragon Pulse. Human quick, because he step back fast and dodge Dragon Pulse. I charge another, but then human takes the red and white thing and throws on ground. A weird blue and tan frog with blue bumps on head and no arms come out. The human says for frog to use an Icy Wind. The frog (vy…vibray…ates) vibrates and a chilly breeze and some snow appear. I get thrown back, and I feel weak. I never feel weak. Frog spits some sticky green water that (ahh…ahtahh…) attach me to wall.

Human walks over to the words on floor. Is he gonna stomp on it? Destroy it? He nod his head and close his eyes, like humans do when understand something. "I see," he said finally. He walk over to me.

"I can help you," said the boy, crouching down. "I've been looking for someone like you." He make no sense. Why would he want someone like me?

"Your parents left you. You should come with me. I'll help you get strong. If you see your parents and they are enjoying their lives without you, then I'll help you get revenge."

Get strong? I am strong. No, he defeat me with his frog. But revenge…he could help me? If he get strong, I wanna be stronger. Then I defeat my dad okay, no risking life. I see, it pretty good deal.

I nodded.

"My name is Nirav. I look forward to working with you in the future." He held up his red and white thing.

[] [] []

After the Deino was sleeping and comfortable inside his ball, Nirav crouched down and looked at the floor. It looked like the rest of it was scratched out, but there was just some sand in certain places. He reached down and brushed the sand off. "Hmmmm," he observed. He reached into his pocket to take out his camera, photographing the entire picture.

 **SON SORRY WE HAD TO LEAVE**

 **YOU WAS GOOD BUT WE HAD TO GO**

 **BECAUSE OF**

 **ROCKETS**

* * *

I hope that you all enjoyed this chapter, and remember to review to let me know anything that you didn't get, or any mistakes that I made. Thanks!


	5. Sloth

New Chapter. Took me a while to do this. Again, please review, so that I can see if there is anything that you don't get or any mistakes that I made.

* * *

Nirav asked me to do this. To be honest, I don't see the need to tell you my past, nor do I have the desire to. No, instead I'll tell you about the time that I met the most powerful person I know, excluding Hydreigon. I am Forretress, but if you know me well enough, you'd know that that's not my only name.

[] [] []

I was at a local restaurant for Pokémon in Castelia City. After I had taken my seat and ordered some Berry Sandwiches, I looked over to see a pair of Hitmonchan and Hitmonlee seated nearby. Normally this wouldn't bother me, but they were looking at the television. Why would fighters like them be interested in human television, much less knowledge?

I studied the screen. There was news going on, and the anchor was talking about a minor car accident, only 2 casualties. Then I looked to the minor news rolling across the bottom of the screen, and then I saw it.

ROADS HAVE BECOME EXTREMELY NARROW. PEOPLE PROTEST ON THE STREET ABOUT THE RENOVATIONS ON CAFÉ-SONATA. THUGS TRASH UP LOCAL BAR. A FASHION TREND INVOLVING ORANGE BREAKS OUT. POKEMON WEARING SHIRTS BECOME POPULAR. A GARBAGE DUMP REVEALS LETHAL TOXIC HAZARDS. BODIES DISCOVERED IN OLD BUILDING AT CASTELIA STREET. THUMB-PIER SHOWN TO BE BUSY TODAY.

Don't see it? Here, let me show you. Highlight every 5th word for me.

ROADS HAVE BECOME EXTREMELY **NARROW**. PEOPLE PROTEST ON THE **STREET** ABOUT THE RENOVATIONS ON **CAFÉ-SONATA**. THUGS TRASH UP LOCAL **BAR**. A FASHION TREND INVOLVING **ORANGE** BREAKS OUT. POKEMON WEARING **SHIRTS** BECOME POPULAR. A GARBAGE **DUMP** REVEALS LETHAL TOXIC HAZARDS. **BODIES** DISCOVERED IN OLD BUILDING **AT** CASTELIA STREET. SHIPS NEAR **THUMB-PIER** SHOWN TO BE BUSY **TODAY**.

If you still don't see it, you must be dim. If you think I'm gonna say something like "no offense", then you must be even dimmer. Here's the translated version:

" **Narrow Street, Café Sonata, Bar, Orange Shirts, Dump Bodies at Thumb Pier Today**."

For someone to put something up there like that, they must have a lot of resources. But they could have done better. What I mean is that the five-letter-apart code is pretty popular amongst people and even Pokémon that want to tell certain people certain information, but it's very easy to crack once you know what you're looking for. It's the best way to tell people something in public, since the real message is hidden in plain sight.

The Hitmons apparently understood and got up. I watched them exit the restaurant from the corner of my eye, and then quickly finished my meal. I left a tip and exited. I looked to my left and right, and spotted them heading down the street on my right. Since I knew where they were going, I decided to take a shortcut. Besides, I hated taking unnecessary routes. I went to my left, to the back of the restaurant. This space led to the back of Café Sonata, where the janitor usually took out the trash. Luckily, during business hours, the door wasn't locked. I opened the door just a bit and peeked inside. The place was as somber as usual, with candles decorating the interior.

13 minutes later, the front door opened and in came the Hitmons, casually strolling in. Just like the news had said, there was a pair of orange shirted teens, barely talking to each other. The Hitmonchan tapped one of them on the shoulder, and then motioned for them to come with. The orange shirts looked at each other, and then reluctantly followed the Hitmons out of the café.

I knew what was going to happen next. I went around the building and peeked into the alleyway right next to the café. The Hitmons soon entered with the orange shirts, and then both of them suddenly struck out, hitting both of the teens, knocking them out. The Hitmons then each took out blood-soaked cloths and wrapped them around the orange shirts' mouths tightly.

Now I knew what was happening. Just in case if one of them woke up, the cloths would muffle their screams, and by the time that they could pull it off, it would already be over. These guys were pros.

Now was the boring part. I looked and listened as the Hitmons started beating them against the wall and floor. It took a long time, but eventually it was over. The Hitmons eventually left, taking their cloths with them. When I was certain they were gone, I went out from behind the corner. There were the teens, lying on the ground, and certainly dead. I checked their pulse. Yep, they were definitely dead.

Are you asking me why I didn't stop them? I could have saved a life, maybe two, right? Well, they were probably punks who deserved it anyway. Besides, leaving them alone would've shown me who was behind all this. And it did.

The best thing to do was to see if anyone would go pick up the bodies. I waited 15 minutes, and then I heard footsteps. I looked around and saw a human male, well dressed, looking through the teen's pockets. He found what he was looking for and pulled out a stack of bills. He smiled with satisfaction. Then, without a second thought, he turned around and walked away, paying no heed for the two broken, dead, bloody bodies behind him. Of course, neither did I.

Obviously, I followed him. He had gone into a very expensive building, going up to the 37th floor. That's all that I could see from my binoculars. From then on, I went to a less crowded side of the building, and then hid my equipment. The rest of the breaking and entering would involve my natural skills.

To scale the wall, I used Magnet Rise. Of course, it got weaker as I got higher, and by the time that I had gotten to the 37th, the pulse I had used to levitate was fluctuating, so I had to act fast.

The next step required the move Spikes. I gathered most of the Spikes into my front right turret (the big red, spike things) and fired. Many spikes punctured the glass window, cracking it.

Last thing to do was to simply Tackle it. Of course, I didn't need such an insignificant move in my arsenal, so I just charged into the glass. It was basically the same thing.

 _Crash_. As the bits and pieces of transparent material tumbled around on the floor, I looked up at my surroundings. Almost immediately, I heard footsteps coming from a hallway on my left. I then emptied the last remaining spikes that I had and scattered them on the floor of the hallway. The spikes never penetrated the bodyguards' shoes, but at least the floor was slick. Like a parent and a child's toy, the big man slipped and fell backwards, with his head hitting the floor with a dull _thunk_.

I was satisfied with myself, until I heard the clapping. It was coming from behind me. I slowly turned around, and then found myself the mind behind all of this.

The first thing that I saw was a soft, white, plush tail. Actually, she had many other things like it, like scarves. The second thing that I had noticed was her smooth grey skin. The third thing that I had noticed was her small, carefree smile.

A Cinccino.

"Well done," she said. "That was very clever. You knocked him out without even touching him. I'm impressed. You know, most Pokémon can't do that if they don't have to."

Another human bodyguard entered the room, shouting: "Miss!" He pulled out his gun when he saw me. I reacted the same way, leaping backwards and trying to see if I still had any spikes. I had none.

"Put that thing down," she said. "This room's no good. The air conditioning's going to be useless. How about the other room?" the Cinccino said, as if the broken window in the room was of no consequence.

It took a while, but the bodyguard eventually lowered his gun. I relaxed in return. He escorted us into the room next to us, his expression suspicious, and then said: "Have a good day, ma'am." But I looked into his eyes, and it was like they were focusing on something far away. Then he closed the door and left us alone.

Then there was silence. I heard the men in the other room trying to fix the broken window.

"Explain," I said. I wanted to know what was going on.

She was visibly interested. "Explain…what?"

"The coded messages, two orange shirted teens, the Hitmons, this building, and why you have two rooms," I replied.

"Oh, today's orders," she snapped her fingers, like she was remembering something.

"What?" I wanted to clarify.

"I don't know why I'm telling you this but…" she shrugged her shoulders "…what the hell. I'm intrigued."

 _Intrigued in what?_ I thought. This one was strange.

"This building is where many… let's just say…important people reside. I just want to blend in with them, maybe even just keep an eye on them. This place is also my base of operations. Oh, and don't forcibly open the 3rd stall from the left in the men's restroom between the time of 8:47 p.m. to 9:02 p.m. That's where I keep…things."

I frowned. It was curious, and maybe even dangerous. I'll have to find out about those "things" later.

"I assume that you know about my codes." The Cinccino continued.

Oh yes, the news roll. I nodded.

"Every day, I bribe the news station to change the words a bit, mix them up. I also have hit men scattered throughout Castelia, all at different restaurants, but all the televisions in them are always on the same channel. Nothing a little bribery couldn't do. Anyways, the words are always shown on a precise time. The words always are about jobs, ranging from beating up debtors to plain murder. They always show the locations, the target, etc, etc, and etc."

I nodded again, because I understood.

'Anyways," she continued. "Whoever gets there first to complete the job is the one paid the most later. My friends usually pick up certain…items and make sure that the hit men had executed the job correctly. Then they come back here, with the items that I needed, or useful information."

"So who were those teenagers?" I asked her.

She thought for a moment. "Ever heard of the Bloody Thugs?"

I nodded. The Bloody Thugs were a notorious group of juveniles that liked to injure people a lot. Emphasis on the "a lot".

"Well, today there are two less Bloody Thugs on the street. They took a gamble and owed me some money when I loaned them, so when they hit jackpot, I thought that it was fair that they would've given me their winnings. They were not so supportive of the idea. So they fled. The rest is history."

"Sounds like a handy system. The hit men can never target the people who hire them this way." To be honest, I was not lying. It was a really awesome system. "It's complex, but it gets the job done."

"Yes, I'm glad you noticed that part." She stretched, yawning. "However…I noticed that we had not introduced ourselves yet."

"Forretress. Just Forretress." I didn't want her to know who I really was, since that could be my trump card in the near future.

She smiled. "I'm Cinccino." She smiled and gazed out the window. "I'm just a local information dealer. That's all you need to know."

Local information dealers didn't live on the 37th floor of an expensive building. I smiled anyway. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Yes, it is," Cinccino replied, but her face showed that she was thinking. Suddenly, she clapped her hands together. "Say, wouldn't it be a very good idea if you could join the team?"

I didn't know if I had listened right. "I'm sorry?"

"Oh yes, I'm actually in a team with a trainer. I had forgotten to mention that part. We could use someone smart like you."

"If you're in a Pokémon team, you must be the strongest one there." I was skeptical, but I wanted to know more about her. She was…intriguing.

"Oh, stop! You're making me blush." She smiled. "To be honest, I'm the far from being the strongest. In fact, I think that I'm the weakest when it comes to absolute, pure strength."

"Really? Well, now I'm interested." Of course, I only wanted to find out more about her. Then I remembered something that I had noticed but forgot to ask.

"Oh, by the way, when you mentioned bribery, what did you mean?" I asked her.

She smiled like she knew something that I didn't. "Well, let's just say that there's nothing that a little Attract can't fix."

[] [] []

There, I'm done. Yes, that's the story about how I met Cinccino, back when I was a little more active. She later introduced me to Nirav. Now, if Nirav wants to squeeze more out of me, then he can go screw himself. I'm done. Go ask Cinccino for some more or something.

* * *

And there we go. Please review!


	6. Envy

This introduction is based off of a Golurk's thoughts.

Again, please review so that I can know if there is any misunderstanding or any typos. Thank you.

* * *

 **600 Years before Present Day**

Lumps of clay glowed with light, and a child's hand shaped its creation. A man touched the clay with water, wetting it, and smoothed it all over the body. The child painted over the clay, making delicate but thick strokes. The paint instantly dried and hardened the clay. They put the body into the oven, and then closed it. The inside of the oven turned red with heat, and the clay cracked and shredded. Once done, the man took it out of the oven for the boy to see. The boy looked at it in surprise and awe. Even though he was advised not to, the boy put his hand onto the shining porcelain-like body.

[] [] []

I taste.

I smell.

I see.

I hear.

I feel.

Complete.

I taste the air, smoky and burning.

I smell the fragrances, mixing in the salty smell of the oven.

I see the darkness under my eyelids, because my eyes are unopened.

I hear the man's breathing and the boy pacing around.

I feel the boy's hand imprint, still on the center of my chest.

I sit up into an upright position. I open my eyes. I look down to see that I am sitting on a tray. I look behind to see that I just came out of an oven. I look around to see that I am in a primitive clay room, maybe underground. I look up to see the child walking around, holding his hand, his face in a painful expression. He wears a red and yellow crude scarf around his neck. The man was at a table with some candles, etching some markings into a set of armor. He wore a simple robe and a leather shirt and leggings beneath. He held it up to admire his handiwork. He turns around in his seat, but then sees me.

"What? You're not supposed to be moving!" He drops his armor and rushes over to me. "Son, come look at this."

The child then looks at me, stunned. He walks over to look at me, and then asks: "Are you the Chocolate Man?"

The man hushes the child: "Quiet, Alcides. He is not the Chocolate Man. He is a wonder, and he is a living miracle."

"Why can't he be both?" the child asked. "Chocolate is a wonder around here. He looks like chocolate. I would want some chocolate now."

The father looked at him as if the child was not his kin. Then he turned to me and said: "I apologize for his insolence. He is young and he does not know how to act properly."

I was puzzled. _How was the child supposed to act? Was there a set of rules for these beings to follow?_ I did not know how to answer the man's question, so I made my entire body glow green in response.

The man was amazed. He said: "Miraculous! What else can you do?"

I don't know what else I could do. I could glow. I could see, smell, taste, hear, and touch. Can I do anything else?

The man perked up. "Maybe you can walk. Can you walk?" He motioned to the long appendages attached to the lower half of my body. I didn't know what he wanted me to do with them.

The child tapped the table to get my attention. "Walk. It's kinda like running, but slower." He demonstrated, pacing across the room slowly.

 _Walking?_ I felt…something in my lower half, like there was a tiny electrical current running through the appendages. The appendages felt like they had to be awakened, stimulated. I tensed the appendages, taking control of it. I moved both of the appendages to the side of the tray, and slowly connected the ground with my "feet". My feet were big, so I had nothing to do to balance myself.

The man took a look at his creation, me, and smiled in wonder. "What an incredible specimen." He then looked at my chest, where the handprint of the child was still visible. "Maybe that was the stimulus…"he said, trailing off.

I looked at the child, because it was as if I had seen that child before. But that was impossible. _Was it?_

Suddenly, the edges of my vision began spreading. My vision went black, and I fell backwards. The man yelped in astonishment and started ordering the child to do things. I stopped remembering things after that.

[] [] []

I see pure darkness.

The darkness retreats from the center of my vision, revealing color.

I see the clay room. I see the man at the table. I see another person near the door, but it was not the child. The child was younger than that.

I tried to stay awake, but my body told me to sleep.

So I went to sleep once more.

[] [] []

When I woke up, the entire room was messy. Dusty boxes were unopened, primitive machines were broken (some even missing their parts), pools of water covered the floor here and there, even small drops of blood littered the floor near the place where I had woken up. There was even a bed on the other side of the room.

I paid no heed to the setting, but instead I focused on the man. He was leaning on the wall, and his face and figure looked different and strangely older, with his hands crossed and expression sad. The child was not here.

After a long silence, he spoke. "So you finally woke up."

 _I woke? I was in a sleep?_

"I had thought that Alcides would come back. I said I had found it. I had found the way to make you alive again. I don't know if he believed me. I don't think he believes in his Chocolate Man anymore. I know that I wouldn't," he said, pausing. "Do you remember?" He asked me, crouching in front of me, examining my face. "What happened before? I only remember so little."

I didn't know what he was talking about.

Somehow, he understood me. "Oh," he said. "You didn't feel the passage of time, did you? It's only been a while for you." He walked away from me, facing the table.

"It's been 13 years since you were last awake."

I did not understand. _How was that possible?_

"Alcides moved away whilst you were sleeping. He has grown up, and has gone traveling. But…" the man's voice shook. "But…we haven't heard from him yet. We don't know his fate." He then motioned to my chest. I looked down, and then I was suddenly horrified by what I saw.

My porcelain chest was pried open, and inside, pipes of water and reddish liquid ran around, creating vibrations inside of me. "That's a special hydraulic system that I made to keep you alive and to make you stronger. Apparently, blood makes your body denser. I still don't really understand it. It generates much energy, so close your chest as soon as possible."

Immediately, I closed my chest. All that was left to show that my chest had been opened has a large crack. Yellow light shined through.

"See that?" said the man. "That's how much energy that my system's currently generating. You fell asleep last time because of lack of enough energy. Now that's completely impossible. It took me 12 years, but it was worth it in the end."

He gave me an oddly shaped piece of leather and instructed me how to cover the crack so that energy is not let through, and also taught me on how to check to see if the system was still intact and operational.

"Now, you will be going on your first mission. Listen to my instructions precisely," he said. "I want you to find Alcides. Protect him at all costs and make sure he gets home in time to find me. Please."

 _This man was my creator. Of course I will comply._ I glowed when I understood.

"Good. Now that that's out of the way, I can finally rest." He walked over to the bed and swept the dust off. Particles flew into the air in spirals. He fell onto the bed and tucked his hands under the pillow, facing the wall and away from me. "Do you know that I haven't slept a good wink of sleep for years, now?"

I did not know that.

"I stayed up all night trying to put you back together again and to make you work. I hope I haven't failed." He shifted in the bed. "Find him."

He didn't speak to me again. His heaving chest showed me that he was asleep.

I stood up, wobbling. I remembered exactly how to stand, but I have not practiced. Slowly, but steady, I strode out of the room and up a set of stairs. I opened a hatch and stepped outside into a desert. Slight winds of sand blew around me. Slowly, but steady, I went out into the vastness in search of the child.

[] [] []

 **Present Day**

I saw the darkness again. As it slowly crept into the edges of my vision, I noticed where I was resting under a large stone cliff, still in the desert. I must have passed out again. I heard a sound to my right. A child, about 12 years young, sat near me, staring into a strange, shiny, rectangular, flat, grey device. I looked closer, and realized that the child looked familiar. No, it was **the** child. I had found him.

"Oh, good," said the child, not looking at me. His face was somber, sad. "You're awake. I found you here, sleeping. I thought that maybe I could protect you from harm until you woke."

 _Protect me? You are the one who needs protection, child. I am here to protect you._

The child stood up. "Well, I gotta go do something." He looked deep in thought, staring off into the distance.

Finally, the child looked at me, and then said: "Maybe you could join me. I recently have new slot in my team. You'd be perfect for my next member. I'll tell you about it later."

I made my body glow lightly.

"I'm guessing that's a yes," said the boy. He held out his hand. "My name's Nirav. I'm International Police."

 _What's International Police? I have never heard of it._

"I really hope that we will enjoy working together in the future, Golurk."

 _Working?_ I thought. _What would I be working on?_

 _Oh yes. I will work on protecting this child._

 _Yes. Yes, we will enjoy working together._


	7. Envy the Second

Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate.

Love?

No. Hate. Love is…

…not me.

Hate. Still hate. Need hate. Use hate to live. Need to see her again…

Her? Or Him?

I love them? I hate them to live. I live to see them again? Love?

No! I hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate.

I must live…

To kill…

I see blackness. Blackness grows lighter.

I see…an alleyway. Rain. Cloudy sky. Trash nearby. Where am I?

Must find them. Just hate them. No love.

No love at all.

[] [] []

The Banette slowly began opening its eyes, rubbing its eyes. It looks around, not knowing where it is. It sees tall buildings of glass and metal rising into the grey, stormy clouds. _Where was this place? Who put it here? What had happened to it?_ These were all questions that the Banette needed answers to.

Slowly, it stood up, wobbling in every step, like a Spinda. As it went out of the alley, it looked around and saw a billboard that said: "CASTELIA CITY MASSAGE CENTER!"

It now knew that it was in Castelia City. The name was familiar, like a memory that you try to remember but can't put your finger on it.

Slowly, memories came back, one by one. It knew who its owner. Who they were, and where they used to live. It remembered all of its good times that it spent with its owner as a lifeless doll. It remembered the owner's smiles and frowns, and their cries and grins.

 _Why did they throw me out again?_ thought the Banette. _No, wait. They didn't throw me out. They went away because…_

The Banette flinched, because the memory was too painful to recall.

 _I have to find them_ , thought the Banette. _I have to tell them something. Hate later._

 _Do I…love them?_

 _I don't know yet, but I want to meet again to make sure._

It stumbled out into the city, in search of its owner.

* * *

Just in case that you didn't get that, the Banette had to utterly hate its owner in order to become a living being. But does it actually despise them?


	8. 7-0

7.0

Team Rocket Application

 **Name** : _Desapeak, Nirav_

 **Age** : _13-14_

 **Parents** : _Unknown_

 **Siblings** : _Sister (Name Unknown)_

 **Region** : _Unova_

 **Area of Expertise** : _Infiltration, Interrogation, Eradication_

 **Threat Level** : _10 (Maximum)_

 **Seeking Position of** : _Administration_

 **Capabilities** : _?_

 **Nature** : _Described as lacking in the ability to feel sorrow, but is able to feel empathy and sympathy. May become slightly furious or agitated in stressful conditions, but is quiet and antisocial otherwise. Tends to work solo rather than within groups, but will accept teamwork only if he favors them. Is extremely calm, but personal subjects might trigger him to become unstable as a result from an unknown event from his past._

* * *

A quick peek at Nirav's file forced Proton to wonder if his bad day had now become somewhat better. Here was an opportunity to land Proton in the spotlight, and for actually contributing to the Rockets. This particular file seemed to have popped up on his desk mysteriously some time ago, but he had just ignored it until now. Proton considered how stupid he had been, but then he realized that he was just plain lazy.

"Oh well," he sighed, then read the file once again. Now that he thought about it, this Nirav looked like one of the people you would normally see in a shonen manga.

Now why would his parents name their son "Nirav"? It seemed pretty abnormal and very suspicious. Using an online search browser, Proton found a website that could decipher baby names, and typed in "Nirav" in one of the boxes. He had to wait a bit before a search result popped up. It stated that Nirav meant "quiet", or "calm".

 _Ah_ , Proton thought. That _certainly fit his description_. But Proton was smart, and liked to deduct things normally no one else could figure out. _Wait_ , he thought, _if Nirav was named "quiet" when he was born, then did that mean that he didn't cry when he was born?_

It was a minor question at best, but it left Proton thinking.

If this kid wants to become an admin, he needs some sort of trust first. Then it all goes from there. Proton came up with an idea. He ran to his desk, ordered down a messenger, and started typing a letter to Nirav.

* * *

Recruit Nirav,

If you truly wish to join us, then like all organizations, we need to learn to trust you. We need to know what you desire, what you dislike, and what you have to offer. If you really wish to join us and rise instantly to the level of administration that you have applied for, then you will get it. But all in due time. A person has to make up for all the time a normal admin has spent to get to their current position.

To show us that you have dedicated yourself to our cause, then you have to complete a list of 80 illicit tasks that we have designated you. Rest assured, these are not everyday GRUNT-leveled tasks; these tasks are some of the most dangerous. If you are as powerful as you say, then you will have no trouble finishing these jobs. Be prepared to kill or torture.

I, Proton, will be your supervisor. You will see me when it comes to claiming or finishing your tasks, so you will answer to no one else, not even other admins. However, you will directly obey the boss, Giovanni, if he orders you to do something. However, I will keep you completely out of any inner circles until the time when you are appointed an admin, so you will not likely be able to see him.

I promise you that you can claim your rightful position if and only if you have executed these tasks with precision.

Proton

* * *

Proton licked his lips, looking over his letter for any mistakes. He then printed it out, and gave it to the messenger by the door.


	9. 7-1

7.1

The Unovian Wealth and Storage Facility was one of the region's most technologically advanced buildings. It looked intimidating; standing tall compared to the rest of the buildings nearby, the bank rose like their leader in a mostly conical shape. It had motion detectors, retinal scanners, and even robotic guards that attacked any unauthorized personnel.

People were asked to store their Pokémon inside a suitcase or have them be left outside, so any people who walked through the sensors next to the door would have to drop everything that they were holding, or the nearest highly trained armored guard would make them. If not that, it was the remote controlled guns attached to the camera. The unfortunate person was then fined, and then was expelled from using the bank for week, even if they had no intention to rob it.

The people who visit also cannot touch or mess with the technology, like sensors or cameras, or maybe even the robots. If they did, they would be fined and escorted out of the building, or they would not be able to withdraw any money or items for the next 3 days.

Civilians cannot fight inside the building, because then they would have to be contained in a small cell in a recently constructed basement that contained 36 cells in total for three hours. If they resisted, then they would be fined, and even subdued by a robotic guard. There was next to no chance that someone would attempt to rob it.

So of course, someone had to rob it.

First, they broke the bank's first rule: Leave your Pokémon outside. Three Pokémon charged through the glass entrance, shattering the bulletproof transparent wall into tiny pieces and specks on the floor. The Hydreigon held up his hands, which were also his heads, and aimed them at the screaming crowd of human beings all waiting in line to make a deposit. The Golurk kept watch over the others roaming around, now frozen on the ground, sometimes making his fist glow to demonstrate his power and show how serious they were to anyone who moved suspiciously. The Seismitoad grinned as he walked by all the civilians cringing in fear, flinching when he made any motion, even to wipe his nose.

The highly trained guard ordered a Herdier to Crunch the Golurk, but as his brave little partner was rapidly approaching, the Golurk just picked up the dog curiously, hesitated, and threw it over its shoulder without a care. The guard tried to pull out his stun gun, but the Hydreigon quickly shot down the man with a tiny Dragon Pulse and aimed it back at the civilians.

Next, they broke the second rule: Don't mess with the technology. The Hydreigon remember what his owner had told him to do next. He took his left head/hand and aimed it at a camera. He fired another tiny Dragon Pulse, but was showing that he was having some trouble holding back. He repeated the process on every camera station in each corner in the room, and was sweating by the time he was finished. Then the Hydreigon aimed his hands/heads again at the crowd.

They didn't technically break the third rule, since they were Pokémon.

The Seismitoad looked into the crowd of helpless human beings and laid his eyes on his target. A boy, his appearance bordering on teenager, and was about 13-14. He made his way through the kneeling people, and kicked any who took too long to get in the way. He picked up the boy, then attached handcuffs behind the boy's back, all while the boy violently struggled and kicked, trying to get free. The civilians watched helplessly as the boy was dragged away.

The Seismitoad then spotted the bank manager, who was crying and trying to hide from the Seismitoad's sight, squatting behind a desk. The Seismitoad smirked and laughed to himself. _How was it that humans were so stupid?_ He thought. He grabbed the manager by the neck and dragged the poor, screaming man over to the elevator. The blue toad yanked his ID card off his neck and swiped it on one of the scanners, and pushed the down button. He looked at his fellow partners, nodded to them, and they nodded back. They had this place under control, even if the International Police showed up. The Seismitoad threw the two humans into the elevator as soon as the steel doors opened, and stepped inside.

Local policemen soon came around, so the Golurk fearlessly stepped outside to face the unwelcome party. Houndooms and Stoutlands fanned out and surrounded the building, while the humans calmly shouted orders to engage the intruders.

The giant stood as still as a statue, then started trembling and vibrating. No, wait, it wasn't the Golurk that was vibrating, but the ground was! The earth trembled with such fury that tiny fissures were created here and there, while the humans and hounds lost balance, all falling on the ground. Cracks appeared on the outside of the bank, splitting apart its bricks.

The humans in the bank screamed, but the robbers were unaffected. The Hydreigon was hovering and grinning at hearing its victims squirm with terror, and then suddenly turned around and went outside. The civilians decided not to do anything, as they were fearful of their punishment that the Hydreigon could give should it come back at any moment.

The Seismitoad shrugged it off, as he was one with the earth. He looked at the elevator ceiling, concerned as to whether an earthquake could destroy the bank vault's contents or could destroy the elevator itself. _If that happens_ , he thought, I would just carry the cargo back up again manually.

The elevator dinged, and slowly opened its door to reveal over 700 large iron plated vaults on 7 levels , all with numbers printed on them. The levels were ring-like platforms that were nailed to the inside of a pit that looked like it had no bottom, while the vaults were holes dug into the inside, facing the platforms.

The blue toad casually strolled along the platform, looking at each number, until finally arriving at number 492. He ordered the bank manager for his code, and when the sweating manager refused, the Seismitoad knocked the boy unconscious and dangled him over the edge of the catwalk by his leg.

The bank manager pleaded for the toad to stop, and gave up his code. The toad shrugged, and threw the boy back onto their metal platform without a care. The bank manager stopped himself from rushing to the child, because it could have been seen as an attempt to get away. The toad peeked into the vault, then walked in and retrieved the item that they had been looking for: a hard drive. The Seismitoad smashed the glass box surrounding it and snatched the long tiny box, then went outside and closed the door. He began to walk down the platform to get to the elevator, when he remembered the child. Still unconscious, the boy mumbling something, but the toad did not care. Ignoring the pleas of the bank manager, he dangled the boy over the platform once more. The bank manager begged and pleaded with the toad to show some mercy. But the toad rarely felt mercy.

So the Seismitoad opened his hand, and the boy fell.

[] [] []

"So the bank with one of the best security around is the first one to get robbed this year? Wow," remarked the grinning man in a tan trench coat.

"Shut it. This is nothing to laugh at. Now that we finally had some peace and quiet after that whole Team Plasma scenario, this happens," said the irritated short-haired blonde driving the car. "You know these guys that took over the bank held a child hostage to get what they wanted? The nerve."

"I'm guessing the guys were nice to let him go. All these hostage takers are merciful, so I guess that's an advantage for us," said the man, leaning back in his seat.

The woman had a grim look on her face. "Actually, the hostage taker, kid, and the bank manager went down to the vaults, but only the taker and the bank manager came back."

The man perked up, and said: "You're kidding me, right?"

The woman didn't reply.

The man looked outside the windshield, and said: "We're here. Let's go."

Local policemen and medics swarmed the place, and a policeman walked up to the newcomers to greet them. "Who are you?" he question them in a suspicious voice.

The man flipped open his badge that he had ready in his hand, and replied: " We're International Police. My code-name is Crooker, and this here is my partner, code-name Pledge." Pledge waved but did not smile.

The policeman understood, and said: "Follow me." The duo went with him and came up to a screen monitor, where a certain piece of video footage was on a loop. "This camera footage was the one tape that survived the scene, as the rest are either destroyed or in worst condition. This one was in the vaults, and it shows us this."

The policeman presented it to them, and it showed them only the back of a certain blue toad. Instead of pleading, the manager was instead handing money to the toad, with the toad accepting it and proceeding to throw the child off the platform.

"We already have him in custody," the policeman continued. "He'll be ready to talk within the hour. However, we haven't retrieved the boy's body yet, so there's no proof of death. But for now, we have all that we need."

The two nodded, and walked back to their car. "I guess the work here was already done," said Crooker, opening the car door for Pledge.

Indeed, he was correct. The work there was already done. Because if the policemen looked incredibly closer at the tape, then they could have seen just a tiny hint of fabrication.

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This chapter is officially the first chapter. The previous one was an introduction to the character of Nirav, and just a _little_ bit of his background and how the story got rolling. The rest were the introductions of his team, just so that we can get a closer look at who he really is.


	10. 7-2

7.2

Proton leaned back in his chair, staring at the dangerous figure sitting across from his desk, a boy that was at least 12, who was silently gazing at Proton's keyboard. So young, Proton thought. I should have noticed the age before anything happened, but...

The boy wore a black hood and jeans, like a normal teenage might. His face was a bit Asian, a bit Caucasian, and his black hair encircled his head loosely, a thick strand slithering between his eyes. His face constantly wore a mask of boredom, as if time was a television show, and he had all the spoilers. He was the one known as Nirav.

Proton broke the tense silence by noisily pulling out a newspaper from the various files in his desk, then plopped it in front of the teenager. The headline read:

 **HIGH LEVEL SECURITY BANK BREACHED!**

"This was you, wasn't it?" Proton asked. He pointed at the illustration, frustrated. "This bank is one of the biggest ones that you could have chosen, and one of the most heavily armed. This was extremely dangerous for a first job, and you knew it. Yet you went along with it. Why?"

"Heavily armed? They were ready for an infiltration, not a raid," said Nirav. "So they really shouldn't say that. Besides, how do you know that I haven't done this sort of thing before?"

Proton sighed. "We were supposed to test out the security of one of the banks on the list, for future heists. Not raid them! That was the entire point of this project, to find weak spots and dead zones, not destroy half the property!"

"Well, you should have specified." Nirav looked at his watch, then swung his hand back to his pocket. Apparently, he was still bored.

The admin pointed to one of the paragraphs in the newspaper article. "Apparently you also murdered someone. A boy."

Nirav glanced up. "Oh, him? Nah, he's fine." He waved the matter away, and smiled.

Proton was puzzled. "What? But it says here that that boy's body was never found. They're still searching for it. How do you know that he's fine?" Proton squinted at Nirav, attempting to read his face, but to no avail.

"My Golurk weakened the ground, created a tunnel for my Hydreigon to travel through, then covered it up again. That's how I know he's safe, since my Hydreigon intercepted him while he was falling. The whole thing was an intentional prank on the bank manager's nerves. I actually did that because I was bored, and I needed to play."

Proton knew now that this child's mind was nor right. Almost as if he was doing this on purpose."And where is this boy now?"Proton asked.

Nirav smiled and looked out the window to his right. "He's sitting right in front of you."

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Nirav glanced down at his sheet of paper, which told him in very simple detail the type of task that he needed to do. Apparently he had to go steal another item, of which he must not know what it was or what it contained, and put it into his new backpack currently on his shoulder. He looked around his current surroundings, spotting a black and brown car, in which a carefree man and a very cross woman were sitting in it, studying something the woman was holding. Nirav advanced, mentally preparing for the lie he was about to say.

As he advanced, the man looked up, scanning his face, and apparently finding no criminal intent, but innocence. He tapped the woman on the shoulder, causing her to look up. Her frown immediately became a warm smile, like a mother would. "Hey, kid. Need anything?"

"Y-yeah. I, uh... my Shuckle is injured, I gotta go t-to a Poke-Center. Can you get me th-there?" Nirav added a slight stutter to his fake voice, smiling in his head about how easy this was. He revealed his Shuckle's Pokeball. The man ate up the lie, unlocking the passenger door, while the woman went back to whatever she was looking at before, which appeared to be a tablet. Something in black and white was playing on the screen.

"You know kid, you probably shouldn't go around asking strangers to get you somewhere. They may take you somewhere else," said the man, as Nirav got into the back seat.

Nirav replied with: "Please, it's an emergency." Nirav quickly glanced around, noticing a brown paper box in the seat next to him. "What is this?" He asked the two.

"Oh, that?" The man turned around in his seat to face him. "It's a Fossil. We were ordered to deliver it to a lab so the science guys could look at it. See, we're International Police." The man showed Nirav his badge, which was an image of the man along with his credentials on a white card. His name was...Crooker?

Nirav blankly went along with his act, and replied with "awesome" when he saw the card, his reaction nothing more, and nothing less.

"I know right? You wanna be like us when you grow up?" The man turned the key, the car rumbling to life and the faint sound of music drifted through the radio.

He laughed in his head. _Unlikely_ , he thought, _unless the job calls for it_. He looked outside the window as the car backed out of the parking lot, noticing the woman looking at him through the corner of his eye.

[] [] []

When the duo left him at the Poke Center, Nirav dropped his facade and took out a PokeNav, dialing a number. While the line was connecting, he strolled into the store, looking around for any police or authority. Seeing none, he was going over to the PC, when the line connected.

"Ah, Petrel...thanks for the Ditto. Really helped me a lot. Now that this little mission of mine is over with, I think your little debt is repaid. By the way, your Ditto may not be coming back, since it would be trapped in a car with two International Police Officers on its way to a lab, so there's that. Oh, don't fret. You always knew that you can get another one if you just snapped your fingers. Alright, thanks!" Nirav hung up just as Petrel started to cuss. He turned to the computer, logged in and tapped a code into its number pad. A black screen with green text later came up, which said: **ROCKET DEPOSITORY**.

He pulled out a brown paper box from his backpack, carefully examining it before gently placing it on a glass pad near the keyboard. It was quickly scanned with green lights from underneath, then dissolved into the glass, seemingly disappearing into thin air. Nirav knew that it was being stored as information, like most Pokemon are, ready to be opened by some Rocket Scientist in one of their own labs.

He logged off and whipped out his phone, texting to Proton the words: " **TWO DONE**." With that, he left the Center, walking down the sidewalk while admiring the moon.

* * *

Sorry of this is a bit boring. The main focus of this chapter was to explain the previous one.


End file.
